Going into the 2010-11 season, it seemed like the Boston Bruins’ starting job was Tuukka Rask‘s to lose. Of course, Tim Thomas started his record-breaking Vezina Trophy-winning campaign with a shutout and really never looked back from there, earning just about every honor (aside from a Hart Trophy) that a goalie can imagine in the process.

In an interesting way, it was the flip side of Rask’s 2009-10 upheaval. The eventual backups weren’t as bad as some believed (Thomas had a respectable .915 save percentage in 09-10 while Rask had a solid .918 mark in 10-11); instead, the No. 1 goalie was just standing on his head.

Of course, in a salary cap world, Thomas and Rask aren’t truly equals even if they’re both very skilled. Thomas’ contract boasts a $5 million annual salary cap hit that won’t run out until after the 2012-13 season while Rask’s contract ($1.25 million cap hit) runs out after this season. There’s also the issue of the two goalies’ ages; Thomas is getting up there in the years at 37 while Rask is entering his prime at 24.

Q: Great coverage this past season, guys — looking forward to watching the B’s defend the title. What do you think about Tuukka? My view is that too much was asked too soon, given Thomas’ injury, and Rask’s struggles in the playoffs stayed in his head this past season. How do you see him getting his legs back underneath him to be the future for this team? Or, do you see him getting traded to make a ‘fresh start’ somewhere else? Thanks! — Joe (Hummelstown, Pa.)

A: Besides Brad Marchand‘s contract status this has been one of the most commonly asked questions to me throughout the summer and as I’ve said before, I truly believe Tuukka Rask is still the future between the pipes for the Bruins and he will see more playing time this season. The only trade scenario I see involving Rask would be a knock your socks off type deal that the Bruins couldn’t refuse. Those types of deals usually happen in the offseason, which is essentially over, so I don’t see any chance of that until at least next summer. Thomas was amazing this season, but he is getting older and as you point out, Rask needs game action to stay sharp. I know from talking to Tuukka a lot during the season, his confidence improved drastically towards the end of the season and he didn’t mind riding the pine to get a Stanley Cup ring either. I wouldn’t worry about him just yet.

While losing the starting job had to be disappointing for the Finnish goalie, he played in 29 games in 2010-11, so it’s not like he dealt with the kind of inactivity one might face while backing up a perennial 70+ starts guy like Miikka Kiprusoff. Having a strong backup – particularly one who might have a bright future as a starter – is a rare luxury for an NHL team. Like Murphy said, the Bruins should do their best to keep Rask in the fold, then.